Taylor found her mom sitting alone in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee. Beth looked up as Taylor walked into the room.
"Alex, I wasn't expecting you. You look dreadful dear." She said
"You don't look so great yourself." Taylor smiled as she put her bag down in the doorway. "Everyone else gone?"
"Your uncle left a little while ago so that he could go to work." Beth replied
"Yeah, it seems like I live there now." Taylor said as she poured a cup of coffee.
"Is there any word?" Beth asked
Taylor shook her head, "No, they haven't found him yet."
Beth frowned a bit. It had only been a week since the collapse, but she had hoped that her husband would be found. "It is dreadful waiting."
"I know." Taylor said
"Are you getting enough rest?" Beth asked her daughter
"I get it when I can, but I can't sleep." Taylor admitted
"Maybe you just…" Beth started
"Don't start. I NEED to go to work. I can't just stay home while everyone is out there doing their jobs and searching for their loved ones. There are still hundreds of people who need to go home. I can't sit on my couch and pretend that they aren't there. I HAVE to go to work. I NEED to be a firefighter. For Daddy." Taylor started to cry.
Beth put her hands over her daughters.
"You were always the strong one." Beth admitted
"I am trying to be brave." Taylor admitted, "But Daddy's not coming home. Mommy, Daddy's gone and I can't find him." She sobbed
"I know honey, it's okay. It's okay." Beth allowed a tear to fall down her cheek. "It's a miracle that I only lost one of you to those planes. But your father, he was doing exactly the same thing that you would have done. He was getting people out of that building."
Taylor took a deep breath.
"I know Mommy." Taylor paused, "He got me out of that building."
Beth looked stunned.
"We had just come in when Daddy told us that he had enough firefighters and he wanted us to go search one of the other buildings. I think Daddy knew what was happening, we were outside when it started to come down." Taylor admitted
"Chief Taylor, where do you need us?" Lt. Johnson asked
Angus Taylor turned and looked at the 8 people standing in front of him, one of which was his daughter. He paused for a moment.
"I have enough people here, go and help evacuate 7." Chief Taylor said, "God bless you and be careful."
Taylor looked at her dad. He nodded and half smiled. The Squad made their way between buildings 5 and 6 when it happened.
"Run!" Lt. Johnson ordered
"Daddy!" Taylor thought to herself and paused as she watched the building start to come crashing down
She wasn't sure who, but someone pulled on her coat. She turned back around and ran as the debris came crashing down.
Taylor was sobbing. Beth pulled her daughter closer and hugged her. She knew how painful it must have been to have been down at the site.
"It's okay baby. It's okay." Beth tried to soothe her daughter
"He's gone." Taylor kept sobbing. "He's gone."
